Procurement Manager (Protein)

Kelly; Brantford; On-site; CAD 67,000 - 84,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Extended healthcare

Dental

Life insurance

Emergency travel assistance

Holiday and vacation pay

Job summary

Kelly is seeking a Protein Procurement Manager in Brantford, ON to coordinate procurement activities, manage supplier relationships and work with Walmart buyers, commercial teams and demand planning to ensure the right products are available at the right time and cost.

Experience in meat protein preferred but not required; strong procurement fundamentals, ability to learn new product categories, and skilled communication with suppliers and cross-functional teams are essential.

Qualifications

• Experience in buying, purchasing, procurement or supply chain.

Responsibilities

• Act as a key point of contact between customers, suppliers and commercial teams.

Skills

Supplier relationship management

Negotiation skills

Excellent communication

Organizational & time management

Cross-functional collaboration

Analytical thinking

Procurement fundamentals

Meat/protein knowledge

Tools

Foods Connected

Job description

Protein Procurement Manager

Location: Brantford, ON

Salary: CAD $66,848 – $83,560

Work Type: Full-Time, On-Site

Our client, is looking for a Protein Procurement Manager to join a fast-paced, customer-focused food business. This role will be responsible for coordinating procurement activities, managing supplier relationships and working closely with Walmart buyers, commercial teams and demand planning to ensure the right products are available at the right time and at the right cost.

While meat protein experience is preferred, our client is open to looking at Procurement Managers from other fresh food, FMCG or high-volume purchasing environments who have strong procurement fundamentals and the ability to quickly learn a new product category.

If you're a procurement or purchasing professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment and enjoys working across multiple teams, and are commercially minded, highly organized and confident communicating with suppliers, customers and internal stakeholders,

Responsibilities

Procurement & Supplier Management

• Act as a key point of contact between customers, suppliers and commercial teams.
• Organize and manage purchasing events with Walmart buyers.
• Work alongside the Procurement Insight team to guide and influence purchasing decisions.
• Load purchasing events and purchasing agreements into the Foods Connected platform.
• Maintain supplier price files, load agreed pricing and obtain supplier sign-off.
• Manage long-term contract purchasing and supplier purchasing models.
• Ensure all active product codes are accurately maintained within procurement documentation for both retail and primal products.
• Review retail order amendments and identify solutions to improve service levels.
• Manage purchasing timelines and ensure key deadlines are met.
• Attend S&OP meetings and contribute procurement insights and recommendations.
• Manage imported meat schedules, where applicable.
• Coordinate frozen and fresh stock held at external cold storage facilities, where applicable.
• Identify and elevate service-level challenges to the appropriate customer and commercial teams.

Demand Planning & Supply Coordination

• Work closely with the Demand Planner to understand long-term product and raw material requirements.
• Oversee short- and medium-term supplier forecasts and determine appropriate actions when forecasts increase, decrease or fall short.
• Review daily order shortages with the Raw Material Scheduler and assess the potential impact on the business.
• Develop and coordinate mitigation strategies for supply shortages and elevate issues to the Protein Procurement Manager and Commercial teams when required.
• Review supplier usage and ensure purchasing requirements remain aligned with demand.

New Product Development & Continuous Improvement

• Participate in NPD and feasibility meetings, providing procurement insight on pricing, availability and supplier capabilities.
• Review and sign off on product costings and submit approved information to Accounts.
• Identify supplier performance opportunities and raise supplier improvement plans with Walmart buyers and the Commercial team.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives that enhance procurement efficiency, supply reliability and service levels.

Qualifications & Experience

• Experience in buying, purchasing, procurement or supply chain.
• Experience within a fast-moving fresh food or FMCG environment is preferred.
• Knowledge of meat/protein products is an asset but not required.
• Strong supplier relationship management and negotiation skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong organizational and time-management abilities, with the ability to manage multiple purchasing timelines and priorities.
• Comfortable working with cross-functional teams, including Procurement, Commercial, Demand Planning, Scheduling, Accounts and customers.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to make informed purchasing decisions based on supply, demand, pricing and service-level considerations.
• Experience with Foods Connected or similar procurement/supply chain platforms is an asset.

Why Kelly

As a worker today, it’s up to you to take charge of your career and look for opportunities to learn, grow, and achieve your potential. Helping you find what’s next is what we’re all about. We know what’s going on in the evolving world of work—just ask the nearly 500,000 people we employ each year. Connecting with us means getting the support, guidance, and opportunities needed to take your career where you may have never imagined.

About Kelly

At Kelly, we’re always thinking about what’s next and advising job seekers on new ways of working to reach their full potential. In fact, we’re a leading advocate for temporary and non-traditional workstyles because we believe they allow flexibility and tremendous growth opportunities that enable a better way to work and live. Connecting great people with great companies is what we do best, and our employment opportunities span a wide variety of workstyles, skill levels, and industries around the world.

Kelly is an equal opportunity employer, committed to employing a diverse workforce and providing accommodations for people with disabilities in all parts of the hiring process, as required under its Employment Accommodation Policy. Kelly will work with applicants to meet accommodation needs that are made known to Kelly in advance.

As part of our promise to talent, Kelly supports those who work with us through a variety of benefits, perks and work‑related resources. Please note: The following benefits reflect Kelly’s general offerings. Eligibility may vary by assignment, location and job type. Kelly offers eligible employees a group benefit program that includes extended healthcare (drug plan, professional and medical services), dental, life, and emergency travel assistance. In addition, employees are entitled to holiday and vacation pay in accordance with provincial labour law. Click here for more information on benefits and perks that may be available to you as a member of the Kelly Talent Community in Canada.

Get a complete career fit with Kelly®.

You’re looking to keep your career moving onward and upward, and we’re here to help you do just that. Our staffing experts connect you with top companies for opportunities where you can learn, grow, and thrive. Jobs that fit your skills and experience, and most importantly, fit right on your path of where you want to go in your career.

About Kelly

Work changes everything. And at Kelly, we’re obsessed with where it can take you. To us, it’s about more than simply accepting your next job opportunity. It’s the fuel that powers every next step of your life. It’s the ripple effect that changes and improves everything for your family, your community, and the world. Which is why, here at Kelly, we are dedicated to providing you with limitless opportunities to enrich your life-just ask the 300,000 people we employ each year.

Kelly is committed to providing a workplace environment that is inclusive and respects the dignity of those in our workforce. Consistent with that commitment, Kelly will ensure that persons who are otherwise able to work are not unfairly excluded from doing so based upon any grounds protected by applicable human rights legislation, and will make all reasonable efforts to accommodate the needs of applicants and employees in all employment processes including but not limited to, hiring, advancement, discharge, compensation, or training.

Kelly may use AI-powered tools during the recruitment and hiring process. For full details, including how Kelly uses AI, your rights, and how to request a reasonable accommodation, visit the Recruitment Artificial Intelligence Notice.